One of the most overlooked moments in the life of Jesus happens early, before the crowds, before the healings, before the Sermon on the Mount. It happens quietly, in the wilderness. In that story, Jesus is offered something far more seductive than comfort or bread. He is offered power. Real power. Political influence. Control over […]
The Temptation Jesus Refused (and the One American Christianity Accepted) Read More »
Have you ever noticed how we hear something powerful and immediately think, Someone else really needs to hear this? Not us, of course. It’s always a brother-in-law. A cousin. A neighbor. That person on Facebook. The one who doesn’t get it. I’ve watched this play out for years in churches, classrooms, therapy offices, and living
Amen. Preach It, Brother. (Just Not to Me.) Read More »
This morning we lost power. We still do not have power and are getting a little colder. We’ll be fine. That’s not the point of this story. Like many people do during storms, someone posted in a community group asking if others had lost electricity. Several folks chimed in: yes, they were out too. Others
When the Power Goes Out: Gratitude Without Superiority Read More »
I have been thinking all week about the confession of Philip Yancey. For decades, Yancey has been one of the clearest voices in evangelical Christianity, a writer who made grace feel believable again. His books didn’t just defend Christianity; they humanized it. He gave language to the weary believer, the bruised skeptic, the person who
When Christian Heroes Fall: Hypocrisy, Grace, and the Strange Work of Truth Read More »
There’s a saying that goes, “The best sermons are lived, not preached.” It means that actions speak louder than words, that integrity is found not in what we say, but in how we live. In my family, there’s no better example of this than my grandfather, Cortez Wesley. He never wrote a book or led
When I was twelve or thirteen, my parents came home from what felt like a spiritual revival for families. They’d just returned from one of Bill Gothard’s weeklong Basic Youth Conflicts seminars; those massive evangelical events that could fill entire stadiums in the 1970s and early 80s. They brought back binders, books, games, and a
There’s a certain kind of phrase that rolls off the tongue easily when we don’t know what to say. “Everything happens for a reason.” “God has a plan.” “This must be part of something bigger.” They’re meant to soothe, but too often, they wound. I’ve sat with people who lost a child, who were betrayed
The Cruelty of Comforting Lies Read More »
When Charles C. Ryrie (1925–2016), well-known Dallas Theological Seminary professor and dispensational theologian, wrote Balancing the Christian Life, his goal wasn’t to ignite decades of theological warfare. He wanted to talk about balance; about holding the Christian walk in tension between freedom and responsibility, doctrine and practice. But that word “balance” ended up setting off
Balancing the Christian Life… Or Fighting About It? Read More »
One of the hardest lessons I’ve learned in life is that reassessing your beliefs is not the same thing as caving to pressure. It’s not cowardice. It’s not compromise; it’s growth. Throughout life, we should be constantly examining our positions and our direction. We move toward a value we believe in, and often that value
Beyond Symbols: Living by Values, Not Flags Read More »
When I think about what really holds a family, a community, even a society together, I always come back to values. Not the cultural signals that come and go with the times, but the steady truths that endure across centuries. Take honesty. No society admires deceit as a virtue. The same goes for kindness, generosity,
When Values Outlast Identity Read More »